One F1 team are now ‘paying a premium’ to attract rival staff to join them for the 2026 season

Follow us on Google Discover

Formula 1 teams are facing a difficult situation in 2025 as they weigh up when to shift their development onto the 2026 regulations.

Some have already made that decision, with Williams already focusing on 2026. The Grove outfit want to get a head start on the new rules as they aim to be a frontrunner, but James Vowles disagrees with George Russell after the Mercedes driver claimed they could be the ‘team to beat’.

Other teams are struggling with when to halt their development for 2025. McLaren face a ‘terrifying’ problem as they want to win both championships this year, but also do not want to limit their efforts on next season.

Lewis Hamilton has put Ferrari in an impossible situation, as the seven-time champion has called for upgrades to the 2025 car, but also wants to focus on the 2026 regulations. The Maranello outfit will make a decision in the coming weeks when to shift their attention to next season.

New entries Audi and Cadillac have the luxury of only developing their 2026 machines. The former will take over from Sauber next season, while the latter will become F1’s 11th team on the grid, the first since 2016.

Cadillac are ‘paying a premium’ to attract rival staff to join them in 2026

The General Motors-backed team will join the sport with Ferrari as their engine supplier. GM will bring their own power unit by the end of the decade, and they are making big movements in the paddock to help progress the project.

F1 photographer Kym Illman said via his YouTube channel that Cadillac are ‘paying a premium’ to attract rival staff to join them. The team are believed to be ‘hunting’ for 600 people to join their workforce.

“Now Cadillac is hunting for 600 people, you might have seen the job ads. Many of the interviews are taking at their Silverstone headquarters,” he said.

“But they’re also going through the paddock and approaching people they think would be a good fit for Cadillac, and a couple of new hires tell me they’re paying a premium.

“And of the 600 that they’ll be employing, approximately 105 of those will attend races.”

READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers

Cadillac’s shortlist of drivers for 2026 now has its favourites

As Cadillac ramp up their search for staff, they are also narrowing down their driver shortlist. The American brand have been speaking to several candidates over the past few months, with favourites now beginning to emerge.

Valtteri Bottas seemed to hint that he is joining Cadillac with a post on social media. The Finn has been linked with the team since he lost his seat at Sauber, but he faces serious competition.

Sergio Perez has been heavily linked with Cadillac, with the Mexican bringing a wealth of experience and commercial value to the team. But the 35-year-old is not shy of suitors, with Alpine and Mercedes also interested.

Bottas has moved slightly ahead of Perez in the running for the Cadillac seat. The feeling is that the American team want an experienced head alongside a young driver, with the likes of Felipe Drugovich, Mick Schumacher and Frederik Vesti being considered for a seat.